IF you've got an Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, there's an easy way to upgrade your telly experience for free.

It takes just a few seconds to set up – but it'll save you so much time and hassle once it's sorted.

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The trick involves using your smartphone as a mobile control, which is more exciting than it might sound.

It has some huge benefits that make it far better than using the regular remote control.

And it even unlocks some bonus features that you might otherwise have had to pay for.

The good news is that this trick works on both Amazon Fire TVs and Fire Sticks, so anyone can get involved.

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WHY YOU SHOULD USE YOUR PHONE AS A FIRE TV REMOTE

The first perk is that you have a back-up if you've lost your actual remote.

You can just use the mobile app instead, because it's unlikely that you'll have lost your or Android.

And if you have an Alexa Voice Remote Pro that you've lost, you can use the mobile app to make it ring so you can find it.

Another great benefit of the mobile app is when it comes to typing anything in.

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Tapping out search terms, usernames, passwords, or any other kind of word can be a pain with a regular TV remote.

But with the mobile app, you can simply use your phone's keyboard to tap things in.

This has the added benefit of allowing you to enter log-in details using your phone's password manager – like the iCloud Keychain on iPhone.

But perhaps the biggest benefit of all is the ability to use Alexa voice controls on the mobile app.

Some Amazon Fire TV remotes have Alexa built in, but not all of them do.

So you can get this feature for free without having to upgrade to an Alexa remote.

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There are loads of benefits of using voice controls.

For a start, you get all of the general Alexa features like asking for music or audiobooks, finding out about the news, playing trivia games, requesting jokes, and controlling your smart home.

But you can also use it to control your TV.

So you can ask it to fast-forward three minutes if you want to skip a boring scene.

TRY THESE COMMANDS!

Here's a list of Amazon-sanctioned Alexa commands for your Fire TV...

• "Watch [title]."
• "Play [title].
• “Play [title] on [app]."
• "Search for [title]."
• "Find [title / genre]."
• "Show me [tv shows / movies] with [actor]."
• "Show me new [tv shows / movies]."
• "Search for free [tv shows / movies].
• "Scroll [direction]."
• "Select #3."
• "Play #6."
• "Go back."
• "Go Home."
• "Show more."
• "Scroll down."
• "Select [row number]."
• "Go to my video library."
• "Play this movie."
• "Watch trailer."
• "Add this to my Watchlist."
• "Show me [episodes/seasons]."
• "Open app."
• "Find [title / genre]."
• "Show me [movies / TV shows]"
• "Find [actor] movies."
• "Select."
• "Scroll [right / left / up / down]."
• "Move [right / left / up / down]."
• "Play."
• "Pause."
• "Stop."
• "Resume."
• "Rewind [timeframe]."
• "Fast-forward [timeframe]."
• "Go back [timeframe]." 
• "Jump forward [timeframe]."
• "Next / Next Episode." 
• "Watch from beginning."
• "Go to [channel / network] on [app]." 
• "Watch [channel / network]."
• "Go to Channel Guide."
• "Go to Live."
• "Show me the weather."
• "Show me my To Do List."
• "Show me songs by [artist]."
• "Show me restaurants nearby."
• "Show me the [device name] camera."
• "Show me the nursery camera."

Picture Credit: Amazon

Or you can search for specific movie titles far more quickly than just typing them in.

You can quickly switch to specific channels, or open apps in an instant.

And you can even adjust TV settings by asking it to mute the volume, switch the picture or sound mode, increase the bass, and so on.

Almost anything you can think of doing on a Fire TV – except pausing or playing – is faster with voice controls.

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HOW TO USE PHONE AS FIRE TV REMOTE

The good news is that setting up your phone as a Fire TV remote is very easy.

First, download the Fire TV app on your phone.

You can get it for free from the Apple App Store for iOS on iPhone, or the Google Play Store on Android.

Then make sure that your smartphone is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Fire TV device.

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FREE AND EASY!

Looking for free TV? Try out these ad-supported streaming services...

• Amazon Freevee
• The Roku Channel
• Plex TV
• Tubi
• Pluto TV
• Red Bull TV

They all offer at least some free television supported by ads.

Picture Credit: Amazon

Open up the Fire TV app on your phone, choose the Fire TV from the devices list, and then follow the on-screen instructions.

Once you complete set-up, you'll be able to use your phone as a supercharged smart TV remote.